Apparatus for preparing copper cylinders for etching



H. J. BIDDULPH APPARATUS FOR PREPARING COPPER CYLINDERS FOR ETCHING April 29 y 1 2% Filed April 6. 1923 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 avwewtoz lzrbarb'flfiiddufih,

aflozwug April 29, 19214. 1,491,896

x H. J. BIDDULPHV APPARATUS FOR PREPARING COPPER CYLINDERS FOR ETCHING med April 6. 1923 2 sheets-sheet:

llrbert J Emma)? 6 ktozmt Patented Apr. 2%, i924.

HERBERT J. BIDDULPII, 6F VALLEY STREAM, NEW YORK.

APPARATUS FOR PIE-HEARING- CGIEPER CYLINDERS FOB, ETCHING.

Application filed April 6, 1923. Serial 150. 630,416.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HERBERT J. Bmnunrrr, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Valley Stream, Long Island, in the county of Nassau and State of New York,-

have invented certain new and useful Improvements in an Apparatus for Preparing Copper Cylinders for Etching, of which the following is a specification. I

My present invention relates generally to apparatus for preparing copper cylinders for etching in the printing art, and more particularly to the application of an impression upon the previously sensitized cylinders and the development thereof, my object being the provision of an apparatus whereby those operations, commonly independent of one another and requiring the transportation of the cylinder from one machine to another, may be carried out in said apparatus without the necessity for such transporta' tion.

My object is therefore the elimination of considerable waste of time, labor and expense, as well as danger of marring the delicate surface of the copper cylinder be I tween the impression and developing operations.

According to my present invention, a copper cylinder, previously sensitized, is moved to a point adjacent to my improved apparatus for instance upon the usual truck, and the squeegee roller is lowered upon the upper surface of the roller in such manner as to float thereon, after flooding the surface with alcohol and applying the carbon tissue thereto. The cylinder is then rotated and, by virtue of the roller,al1 surplus liquid is removed from the cylinder and the carbon particles pressed into its surface. The squeegee roller is then elevated and a developing tank, at that time below the cylinder, is elevated until the lower portion of the surface of the cylinder is within the developing solution. The cylinder is then again rotated so that every portion of its surface will be exposed to the developing solution until full development has taken place. The developing tank is then lowered and the cylinder is ready for removal on its truck in order that it may be etched as usual.

My invention resides in an apparatus wherein a squeegee roller is rotatable and vertically shiftable to the above end, and wherein a developing tank is vertically adjustable for the purpose stated, and its preferred embodiment is shown in the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification, and wherein,

Figure 1 is a front elevation of my improved apparatus, 7

Figure 2 is a side view thereof showing a truck supported copper cylinder in place ready for operation,

Figure 3 is a detail perspective view of the squeegee roller and its supporting parts,

Figure 4 is a detail perspective view of the developing tank and its supports,

Figure 5 is a vertical section through one ofthe uprights and one of the tank bracket arms, and V 2 Figure 6 is a detail sectional side view of the ratchet means for adjusting the squeegee roller.

Referring now to these figures, and particularly to Figure 2 it should be borne in mind that copper cylinders, of whichlhave shown one at 10, are commonly provided with end shafts or trunnions 11 axially outstanding therefrom, one having a hand wheel 12 temporarily fixed thereto in orderthat the cylinder may be hand rotated in its preparation for etching. It should also be borne in mind that such cylinders are commonly transported on trucks 13 having side frames each provided with an upper open or half bearing 14 for one of the trunnions 11, the trucks being rolled from one point to an other by virtue of lower casters and the like 15. My improved apparatus includes a pair of spaced parallel uprights 16, each rigidly supported in upstanding position by virtue of its lower foot piece 17, within a vertical bearing bore 18 of which the lower end of the upright is secured by set screws 19, having apertures providing for its bolted connection upon a floor or other supporting surface. The upper ends ofthese uprights are connected by an upper cross piece 20 and these uprights are cut away intermediate their ends to receive toothed strips 21 forming rack plates and at these points pass through the rear vertical bores 22 of a pair of forwardly and horizontally outstanding bracket arms 23 which support the opposite sides of a shallow developing tank 24.

Each of the bracket arms 23 has, forwardly of its bore 22, a squared vertical bore 23 for the reception of a gear 25, these bores being in communication so that the gears 25 engage the rack plates 21 as clearly shown in Figure 5. Each arm 23 also has side bearings 26 opposite the bore 23? to rotatably support the opposite ends of a con trol shaft'27 connecting the arms and upon which the gears 9-5 are secured, The right hand end of shaft 27 projects outwardly beyond the respective bracket arm and has a gear 28thereon engaging a gear 29 on a stud shaft 30 supported by the same bracket arm and secured in connection with a hand wheel 31, rotation of which thus raises or lowers the tank supporting arms 23, dependent upon the direction of such rotation. These parts are normally locked by virtue of a locking pawl 32 carried by the right hand bracket arm and engaging the gear 28,

Substantially above the tank 24, so as to receive the cylinder 10 on truck 13 between them, is a squeegee roller 33 whose shaft 34-v is loosely journaled at its opposite ends in the outer upwardly opening bearings 35 ofthe roller supporting brackets 36 at whose rear ends are vertically disposed tubularv bearings 37 slidable on the uprights '16. This squeegee roller is engaged along .its full length by a rotating brace rod 38 having itsends rotatablyr connected to the brackets 36. The open bracket bearings 35 are normally closed by cap plates 39 and the brackets themselves are engaged by the lower forward ends of controlling chains 4.0passing upwardly and rearwardly over upper forward sprockets 41 secured upon a sprocket shaft lil and downwardly over the rear loosely mounted guide sprockets 43,

the lower rear ends of the chains being connected to weights 44 which thus tend to elevate the squeegee rollers at all times.

The ends of the sprocket shaft 4-2 are journaled through the forward portions of upper bracket arms lfi forwardly and horizontally outstanding from the upper portions of the uprights 16 to which these arms are secured by set screws 46 below the ends of the crosspiece 20. The right hand end of the sprocket shaft has thereon a gear 47 engaged by a locking pawl 48 and also engaged as shown particularly in Figure 6,

a. second pawl 49, the latter being formed atone end of a bar having a handle 50 at its opposite end and having a. stop lug 51 limiting its movement within a ratchet After this operation, during, which the cylinder 10 is rotated by handwheel 12 and the tank 24: is substantially below the cylinder, the roller is elevated and the'tank 2a is then raised until the lower portion of the cylinder is within the developing solution. The cylinder is then again rotated until fully developed and the tank is then.

again lowered permitting the truck 13V'to be readily shifted away from my'improved apparatus for transportation to the point at which it is to be etched.

It is obvious that the described construction permits of readily carrying out the foregoing operation without trouble or loss 7 of time and that in addition to being expeditious and simple, this operation eliminates the usual necessity of transporting the cyle inder from one point to another between the operations, with the delays and dangers at.- tendant thereon.

I claim: I 7 1.,An apparatus for preparing copper cylinders for etching having a squeegee roller, a developing tank, and a support common to said roller and tank and upon which they are movable toward and away from one another arranged to receive a copper cylinderon a truck shiftable toward and away from said support to move such cylinder into and out of'position between said tank and said roller.

' 2. An apparatus for preparing copper cylinders for etching having a developingtank, a squeegee roller spaced above the tank, a supporting frame for said tank and roller, arranged to receive a truck supported coppercylinder laterallyv sh-iftable between the roller and tank, and means ad? justably connecting said roller and said tank to the frame for movement vertically to and from such cylinder.

3. An. apparatus for preparing copper cylinders for etching having a developing tank, a squeegee roller spaced above the tank, and a supporting frame common to said tank and said: roller and in which the same are movable vertically as described arranged to receive a copper cylinder on a, I

truck shiftable toward and away from said support to move such cylinder into and out of position between said tank and; said roller.

4:. An apparatus for preparing copper cylinders for etchin having a developing tank, a squeegee ro ler spaced above the tank, and a supporting frame common to said tank and said-roller arranged to receive a copper cylinder on a truck shiftable toward and away from said support to move such cylinder into and out of position between said tank and said roller, and means for shifting the tank and roller vertically in the frame An apparatus for preparing copper cylinders for etching having a developing tank, a, squeegee roller spaced above the,

tank, and a supporting frame common to said tank and said roller arranged to receive a copper cylinder on a truck shifta ble toward and. away from said support to move such cylinder into and out of position between said tank and said roller, and means for independently adjusting the roller and tank vertically in the frame.

6. An apparatus for preparing copper cylinders for etching including a truck for movably supporting a copper cylinder a frame adjacent to which said truck with a copper cylinder may be moved, and a developing tank over which such cylinder may be positioned mounted and shifta'ble in the frame vertically toward and away from such cylinder.

7. An apparatus for preparing copper cylinders for etching including a truck'for movably supporting a copper cylinder 2. frame adjacent to which said truck with a copper cylinder may be moved, and a squeegee roller beneath which such cylinder may be positioned mounted and shiftable vertically in the frame toward and away from such cylinder. 7

In testimony whereof I have afiixed my signature.

HERBERT J. BIDDULPH. 

